A Fool's Date
by APIII
Summary: April Fool's Day proved no different for Jaune Arc's dating game, rejected once more by Weiss Schnee. Intent on having fun, he accepts Ruby's "Prank Date." Hi-jinks ensue as the over the top Jaune spends an evening with the prodigy Ruby Rose, who is on a legitimate date.


**A Fool's Date**

"So, what do you say?" Jaune asked with a dazzling smile that flashed all of his pearly white teeth.

"Arc, for the millionth time, I am not interested in a date." Weiss sighed, closing the door softly, cutting off whatever the blond was going to say.

With a dejected sigh, Jaune's shoulders drooped as he turned his back on the door, making to go to his own dorm before he heard RWBY's dorm open once more, and his heart dared to soar for a moment as he spun in place.

"Hey Jaune." Ruby Rose said in a soft voice, a warm but hesitant smile on her face.

"Oh...hey." He tried to return the smile, the action not quite meeting his eyes. She had no doubt heard yet another one of his denials, and now they'd have to dance around the awk-

"So, shot down again, huh?" Prodigy she may be, but tactfulness was not one of the redhead's greatest strengths.

"Yeah," the blond admitted with a chuckle, his smile becoming a little more genuine as he finally found the strength to lift his head up enough to meet and keep her gaze. "She was nicer about it this time though, I think the decision to leave the guitar was the right one."

"Yeah, that was probably it. Hey, you want to go with me to the Armory? I have a part I need to buy to replace a replacement for Crescent Rose." Ruby laughed, slugging him on the arm as he wondered why she was laughing, he hadn't said any jokes.

"Sure." The Arc responded easily enough, having nothing better after having his evening, predictably, cancelled. They had settled into a comfortable pace, but the air was a bit tense, and the Arc scrambled to think of something to fill the silence. "You know, I was worried Weiss was going to say yes, and then take it back. At least she was upfront with me."

The words were true, seeing as it was April 1st, or April Fool's Day, as the rest of the campus so lovingly referred to it as. In a school run by a minority consisting of less than five percent of the student body, the day proved infamous for pranks amongst years, classes, and even teammates. Though most of the students, besides the Senior Class, refrained from any fun in the classrooms at the risk of a teacher's ire, the camp grounds were fair game, and the Knight kept an eye out for any shady individuals or any sort of mechanisms about, like trip ropes, or Noras.

"Weiss isn't that mean… well, she's mean but…" She started to say, but then seemingly bit her tongue before continuing, "I don't think there's anything wrong with the way you ask a girl out on a date." Ruby mumbled, her head turned away from him, muffling, but not muting, her voice. It was the things not said that meant the most.

"But it hasn't worked once. Maybe it's just me…" Jaune trailed off, managing to make himself sad with his own somber words, and he almost flinched when he realized how awfully he failed at trying to lighten up the mood, if the way she stared at the ground, as if unsure of what to say, was any indication to him.

"I don't think you're the problem…" She began to say, her words slow, clearly drawn out because of the weight they carried for her. "And you know I don't want to talk bad about anyone…" The redhead said, her voice growing thick with an emotion he couldn't quite place before her eyes suddenly snapped to his, steely determination in them. "I think a lot of girls would love to go on a date with you."

As unyielding silver started into blue cobalt, the realization struck the Arc. She was pranking him, no doubt trying to lift his mood up a bit with a friendly joke. She was going about it in a weird way, but Ruby was quirky like that. A warm smile its way onto Jaune's face as he returned her gaze. "I wouldn't know, all I know is, they'd have to ask me first, because I don't think I could ever ask them first."

Checkmate. He had decided to play her little game, and already doubted that she'd be able to meet his gamble. He thought his suspicions to be confirmed when her gaze once more dipped to the ground, breaking the eye contact they had been in, and he was about to tell her how the intent was appreciated when she looked back up at him, a prominent blush across her face.

"Jaune, would you like to have dinner...with me?"

He gawked at her for a moment, stunned into silence. The clever girl… he had to give her a lot more credit, she was a phenomenal actor, from the timid body language, being able to blush on command, to the nervous tremor in her soft voice that was just overkill.

"Nothing would make me happier." Jaune responded with a grin threatening to split his face. He already had a reservation for a nice little restaurant, even he wasn't stupid enough to ask a girl out on a date without reserving a table in advance, even if she had said no the last six times consecutively. An evening spent with Ruby would prove fun, especially if she was going to be as bold as she was now. "In fact, I can set it up for today; it's a bit nice, but not the most formal thing in the world, if that works for you?"

"T-that's great," she stuttered convincingly, "I think I have something that could work…" She mumbled, clasping her hands together, eyes once pointed at the ground as she dug her heel into the ground.

"I have to go get ready then, try to find something as beautiful as your smile, if that's even possible!" Jaune called out over his shoulder, back already to Ruby as he began to meander towards his dorm once more, a smile on his face at the over the top bravado spewing forth from his mouth, unaware of how he had stunned the hooded girl in place, who had yet to move from her spot.

Jaune fingered the hem of the suit jacket, appreciating the soft texture that spoke of its quality. He didn't have much in terms of clothes, due to both lack of convenient access, storage space, as well as lien. Besides his treasured hoodie, he had four pairs of his school uniform, undergarments and socks, as well as his armor. And, of course, the light blue button up shirt and black suit pants he wore at the moment, as well as a dark grey belt along with a pair of black dress shoes to pull the outfit together. The Arc had a tie to go along with it all, lying across his bed, but a moment of thought on the matter had him deciding that that was where it would remain for the night. It was just a fun night out with Ruby, after all, or so he reasoned as he stepped out of his dorm.

To the Arc's surprise, the sound of a second door opening from behind him reached his ears as he closed his own door. His breath hitched when he saw her. Ruby was wearing the same dress she had worn to the dance, dark red, a black sash across her waist, red stockings that clung tightly against a dangerously appealing sight, with crisscrossing bands of black connecting sheer lace on her upper chest, and, of course, sleeveless.

"It's the only dress I have…" Ruby seemed to apologize with a nervous voice after a few seconds of silence passed, and Jaune realized that she was probably feeling self-conscious about the fact, even if it was just a prank date.

"I doubt there's anything that could complement your beauty anymore anyways." Jaune responded in a soft voice, his eyes alight with mirth. The words would be smooth, if he were some suave hero in one of Blake's book.

"S-shut your face." The redhead groaned in protest, slapping his arm even as a smile worked its way onto her face. "So, where are we going to be going to anyways?"

"Nothing as extravagant as you, but it's a restaurant called Golden Shield." The Knight informed her as he held out an arm for her, which Ruby more than gladly took, even if she did so a bit shyly. It wasn't the most lavish place in Vale, but it was the best he could afford, though that hadn't done much for Jaune's anxiety.

"I've heard of it, that's a really expensive restaurant, Jaune!" She complained into his arm, pouting at him with her eyes, as the rest of her face was obscured.

Ruby was probably under the impression that'd she still pitch in to help with the bill, the date being fake and all. They were just going as friends, after all, and friends split the bill…

"Getting to be seen with the prettiest girl in the whole city? Well worth the price, and, I want to be firm here, no butts, noops, or anything of the such, I'll be paying for it all." The decision was an easy one to make, and in all honesty, Ruby was good company.

"I'm helping with the second date, no matter what…"

The mewling noise she groaned was an indication of that. No matter what she said, he'd pay for their night out, but knowing she didn't expect him to pay the bill made him feel all the better for it.

"Whoah, we're already going on a second date? I didn't realize I was that suave." Not to mention all the fun he would have playing their game if she was going to be so easily flustered throughout the night.

"Jjjaaauuunneee!"

It would be a great night indeed.

"Jaune, they're staring." Ruby whispered from her seat beside Jaune. They had taken an airship to Vale, to the Arc's chagrin, and as a result, had gotten quite the amount of attention from the student body. Thankfully, they were heading out in the early evening, as opposed to the busier hours of the day. That being said, they couldn't avoid the public eye, and the Knight found that Ruby probably hadn't realized regular people would think they're actually on a real date, the fools!

"I mean, just look at you, can you blame them? I can barely keep my eyes off you myself." The ride to Vale proved to be a lot more bearable with the entertainment he derived from watching Ruby squirm from the public's attention and his occasional tease. To his unspoken shame, the compliments were getting easier and easier, requiring less effort with every subsequent attempt. Whether or not he should be growing concerned about the corny lines or happy at how quickly he could think on the spot was as of yet unresolved.

She blushed, of course, but to his surprise, the redhead just bit her lip for a second before replying, instead of breaking down into a bumbling wreck of cuteness. "Yeah, but I dressed up for you to look, not them…" Ruby… she actually got him. The tables were turned as the blond teen stared at her with his mouth agape, a small tint across his own cheeks.

"Hah! Cat got your tongue? Consider that payback for all the times you did that to me today," she squealed in a giggly manner, eyes alight with joy. "What if we give them something to really talk about?" she asked in a whisper. Before he could even consider the words, she leaned forward, silver eyes closing as she gave him a single, feather-light kiss on the cheek before pulling back.

"Shut your face…" He quipped back in a mumble, Ruby rolling her eyes at his attempt at his unoriginal retort. Heat rushed to his face as he turned his head to the side, allowing a pleasant silence to settle over the two for the last half of the relatively short trip, resisting the urge to reach up and touch his skin where the ghost of the sensation of her lips lingered for the entirety of it.

"Golden Shields… does your family own this restaurant?!"

Jaune turned to face Ruby with a quizzical look. They had arrived at Vale a while ago and had set off on foot to the restaurant, the distance too short to bother with a cab, and the walk proved to be even more pleasant than airship ride, with light drabble amongst the duo and a distinct lack of airsickness gnawing at him. That was, until the restaurant came into view, the Reaper's head comically snapping back and forth between the large sign and her date.

"What makes you say that?"

"Your shield, the golden arcs!" Was all she responded, as if that were more than enough evidence.

"My shield? Arcs? Oh. Oh! No, those are rainbows, Ruby, not arcs." He explained with a chuckle, genuine surprise in his voice. "What made you think that?"

"I don't know, I just thought because of your last name, you know? It makes more sense than rainbows! Everyone else thinks they're arcs too! Don't you laugh at me!" She cried out in her defense, crossing her arms with a pout when he proceeded to do just that, though she didn't maintain it for long when he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his side for a moment.

"I'd never… After you, my darling Rose." Jaune said, making a grand act of opening the door to the restaurant, gesturing for her to do so. He smirked when she met his gaze head on, eyes playfully narrowed at him. "I can open my own doors, you geek." She scoffed, stepping through anyways.

"And I could eat dinner on my own, doesn't mean I don't appreciate good company." Jaune quipped back, as he followed after her, stopping when they reached a man standing behind a podium.

"Welcome to the Golden Shields, does the party have a reservation?" The waiter asked, a rather ordinary looking man in the stereotypical outfit.

"Yes, we do." Ruby responded, stepping next to Jaune before taking her hand into her own. She coughed when he looked at her, as if waiting for something.

"The name, ma'am?"

"You heard the man, tell him the name of the reservation, darling." Ruby scolded the Arc, her tone taking on an impatient inflection.

"It's, uh, Juby." He told the waiter, missing the raised eyebrow sent his way as he stared at Ruby, trying to figure out where his date was going with the strange joke.

"Very well, yes, if you'll follow me then." The waiter spouted out, turning in place and immediately setting off at a rather brisk pace for a walk, the couple following after him after a moment, allowing themselves to fall back far enough to be out of earshot.

"I'm your darling now?" The Knight asked in a whisper.

"You always were, I just didn't know it." Ruby responded mindlessly, the effect being a level of sincerity that threw Jaune for a loop for a moment, his brain halting all progress as the words registered.

"Hey, what's wrong? Muttering a prayer about me not noticing that awful name, Juby, eh?" She asked teasingly, tugging on his arm when he stopped walking.

"Nothing, nothing is wrong." Jaune said, as much to himself as to her. He tried to banish the melancholy feelings from his head, after all, it wasn't a real date, they were just pretending. It was all jokes, no matter how easily the compliments rolled off the tongue, how long they could banter back and forth without noticing the time fly by, or how _right_ her hand felt in his…

"Well then come on, silly!" She was pulling him towards their waiter, who stared at them dryly, before he could make any comment.

Jaune took another sip from his glass of soda, more so for the brief lapse in awkwardness the action provided rather than any need to quench any thirst. The _date_ had taken a turn for the worst after his small episode.

His actions had become rigid, more akin to the lanky and clumsy teenager he had been when puberty began, and all instances of teasing on his part were no longer existent.

Ruby seemed to have picked up on the shift in mood when they arrived at their table, looking to Jaune as if expecting the same exuberance he had displayed for the cliché gentlemanly acts he had throughout the day, but pulled out her own seat curiously when the Arc immediately sat himself down. Since then, her eyes roamed over the other tables, couples, and staff more often than they did him. She had attempted to spark up some more conversation as they waited for their food to arrive, but Jaune hadn't help keep them alive with his one worded responses.

He had mindlessly ordered a far too small steak for a far too large price tag, with a side of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables, as had Ruby, who had done so because it was the only item on the menu she recognized. Accordingly, they finished around the same time, the Reaper having finished off her plate, and the Knight picking away at his last bites, that was, until he felt a hand encompass his own.

He lifted his gaze to see that the hand was connected to an arm, which extended to Ruby, who was leaning over the table. "Hey, are you alright?" She asked in a quiet voice, a frown marring her face. His already low mood dipped even further. Not only had he managed to bum himself out, but he had gone and ruined the evening for Ruby too.

"I'm sorry, Ruby. I didn't mean to ruin the night, I just…" He trailed off, unable to put his confusing feelings into words, though, that made sense, as he couldn't even organize them into proper thoughts.

The petite redhead sat back down, though her grip on his hand didn't falter, pulling his arm so he could meet her halfway across the small table. "What are you talking about?" She questioned, squeezing his hand before continuing, "Sure, it slowed down a little bit, but that didn't ruin anything… I'm really liking it so far…" Ruby informed him with a smile.

"You...you are? Really?"

"Of course, it's the best! I mean, I haven't ever been on a date before, but I'm having a lot of fun, and I thought you were too. All the big words, the doors and... _t- the flirting._ " Her cheeks turned crimson at the words, but her smile grew a little bigger despite it.

Jaune's eyes grew wide at the revelation, unknowingly tightening his hand around Ruby's. Maybe...the date wasn't real, but that didn't mean the feelings weren't. Or, at least, the fun wasn't. He _had_ been having a good time, he _was_ proud of how much he could make Ruby blush, and _maybe_ he did want it to be a real date.

Staring into Ruby's eyes, Jaune accepted the fact that it wasn't. But that didn't mean he couldn't pretend, even if it would hurt more later on than it would help.

"I can't think of anything cheesy to say that'll fix things," He admitted with a hesitant smile.

"How about 'Dessert, Ruby?'" She suggested with a grin.

The evening had gone splendidly from that point out. The Knight choose to ignore the feelings that briefly passed through his mind, cynically reminding him that none of it was real, that such things were far too good for him. He instead chose just to laugh along with Ruby when they spoon-fed each other ice-cream, Ruby falling off the table at one point in a knee-jerk reaction to a dropped spoonful. To playfully pout at her when she gloated over her cherry-knot tying victory. Even going so far as to poke some fun at their respective teammates, with Jaune acting like money was of no concern of his with a haughty voice, head raised so high he was nearly staring at the roof while Ruby apologized over a dozen times, repeating "I'm sorry!" Of course, he did the same for the intimate moments that dared to let his pulse race, those brief instances of contact that left his skin tingling.

The couple found themselves dawdling on their way to the Airship station that would take them to Beacon, and both would claim it the food settling in their stomachs the cause, even if it wasn't necessarily the whole truth.

"My favorite color is red, Jaune, that doesn't even count as a question!" Ruby whined as she jostled his shoulder with her slender frame, smirking when he laughed as the action barely moved him. Stepping to the side, she threw herself at him with considerably more force, not enough to constitute a full on tackle, but more than enough to cause her to go with him, giggling as his arm wrapped around her waist even as he tried to gain his own footing.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess so." The Arc admitted easily, shaking his head at her antics, before his gaze returned to stare slightly down at her. He realized he hadn't yet let go of the redhead when she pulled his arm up her body to rest around her shoulders, stepping closer so as to snuggle against his side. If her actions had caused her to blush like they made him, Jaune couldn't tell, as her head turned back towards their path in front of them.

"I'm out of questions...hm…" He mumbled in contemplation, before a thought occurred to him. Right away, the more logical part of his brain told him the question would only bring sorrow and grief that wasn't worth the answer. His heart told him it would. The same heart that had dared to hope to become a Huntsman, that fed his decision to fake his way into Beacon, a place he knew to be his second home. It took less than a second for the decision to be made.

"What did you think about our _d-date_?" For the first time, Jaune didn't enunciate the word because he was using it jokingly.

"Oh, that's a good question." Ruby hummed in appreciation, leaning her head against him. "I think it was wonderful."

Jaune gave her a healthy pause to continue before realizing that she had finished already!

" _Just_ wonderful?" He asked with a smirk, though his eyes reflected the genuine happiness he was feeling.

"It was _the most grand_ evening of my life." Ruby replied in an exaggerated tone, snickering afterwards. "It really was great," she continued in a softer voice. "It was a surprise; I honestly didn't think you were going to say yes, so that was really nice."

Jaune nodded in understanding, it was an unorthodox request, and he could see why she would think so.

"And then I ended up being a lot more relaxed than I thought I would be, not because of you, but because of you!" She tried to explain in a rushed, flustered voice. "What I mean is, I got really nervous when you said I had to dress up a bit. You know I don't do...girly. A- and then I saw you, and you looked amazing, and I was really worried I didn't, but then you said I did with all those dumb words and I-" She said in a rant, before getting cut off by a finger pulling her chin.

"You're doing it again, Darling." Jaune told her in a hushed voice.

"You did _that_!" She quipped in embarrassment. "And for almost the whole night, I didn't even feel like we were out in public. Like it was just you and I, out in the hallway, alone together."

"You're right...that was a really good question." Jaune let out a hearty laugh when Ruby pulled herself out of his grasp and pounded on his arm, complaining about him not taking her seriously.

"What about you, what did you think about it?" The Reaper asked him once they calmed down.

"Me? I thought it was ju-" He started to say before he felt her fingers brush up against his momentarily, before returning to fully grasp his hand in hers, fingers quick to intertwine with his.

"I'm serious. No more jovial jokes and no more flirty answers, I want to know what you seriously think." Ruby said, stopping him to look him in the eye and assure him that she was serious.

Was she…? Did she mean that it was…? She couldn't be...could she? The thoughts that had been plaguing his subconscious had been brought forth with a mere sentence, and even worse, hope, for with hope, came the fear of disappointment. Throat constricting, heart-wrenching, paralyzing fear.

"I had a great night, Ruby. I had a lot, a lot, _a_ _lot_ of fun, and you truly made what would have been another depressing night something I'll look back on for years." It wasn't the confession he wanted to make, but this way, he couldn't be hurt by what he already knew. That's all it was for them, a fun night out.

Ruby must have been content with the answer, for she didn't say a thing afterwards. She just squeezed his hand in her own, smiling softly as she tugged him lightly forward; they would miss their airship if they didn't get going.

Jaune should have been happy. Happier, he should have been happier. He knew that he had plenty reason to be happy, he just couldn't appreciate it at the moment. He had gone out to a nice dinner with a beautiful girl, had made her blush more times than he could count, and laughed more in those few hours than he had the entirety of the last month.

There was no doubt that he had accomplished a long time desire of his. It was just the ending that left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he'd be scowling if the girl who had made it all possible wasn't still beside him. They had arrived at the Airship station at the last possible minute, but got to enjoy a virtually empty ride for it. Once back at Beacon, they set an even slower pace than they had after the restaurant, with no need to rush to meet any time limits.

The night had taken its toll on Ruby, it seemed, for she had nuzzled her head into the crook of Jaune's neck for most of the trip, not that he was complaining. The intimate act mixed with the silence that allowed his thoughts to fester, along with the occasional inhale of breath that filled his nostrils with the pleasant aroma of her strawberry shampoo all served to make the blond think about his decision.

Ruby… she meant too much to him for him to try and show her how she might mean even more to him. The jumbled train of thought confused him even still, and he was already torturing himself with thoughts of _'What ifs,"_ entertaining whimsical fantasies of them together, as a couple. Jaune found himself wondering whether they'd tell everyone about it right away, or if they would wait, how everyone would react, how he would deal with Yang, for that was one certainty he knew would most assuredly happen. It was those thoughts of constants that brought him back to reality, reminding him that the constant only existed in a fake plane of theoretical situations that had never happened, wouldn't ever happen, because of the choice he made.

But… he made his choice, and no matter how much he knew it would haunt him, he would stick with it. After all, an Arc always kept thei-

"We're here."

Jaune's eyes snapped to Ruby's realizing that they had stopped walking, and had, indeed, arrived at their dorms. They were now situated outside in the shared hallway, their hallway.

"Yeah, we are." They were the only words he found he could squeeze out without his voice threatening to crack.

"I had a great night." Ruby said after a few moments of awkward silence, digging her toe into the ground as she gazed about the hall, as if waiting for something.

"I'm glad." Jaune responded back, unsure of how to give her whatever she wanted.

With a sigh, she decided to take it for herself.

Stepping forward, Ruby squeezed her eyes closed as she took Jaune by the collar, pulling him towards herself as she brought their lips together, too caught up in the moment to realize the shocked eyes of the Arc.

The kiss that seemed to last an eternity for the duo was over within moments, and the swift departure of Ruby accompanied by a swirl of rose petals only added to the thought that he had imagined the entire scene. He stood in the hall for a solid minute, face blank as his mind attempted to process what had just happened.

Slowly, a bashful smile worked its way onto his face as he brought up his fingers to his lips, unaware that Ruby herself was still grinning like an idiot, back pressed against the inside of her door, ignoring the queries of her teammates.

Jaune turned to his own door, unlocking it and stepping in, but not before he could mumble what he was thinking aloud under his breath, "Screw my word."


End file.
